Circuit breaker



Dec. 29, 1953 c. v. CHERMENDY CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Sept. l2, 1951INVENTOR: CARL l/ CHER/l//E/VDY Fig. 1 showing the central v`Section;and

Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE CIRCUIT BREAKER CarlV. Chermendy, Dearborn, Mich. Application September 12, 1951, SerialNo.246,244

(Cl. 20D-30) y8 Claims.. 1

This invention relates in general to a circuit breaker and is moreparticularly described as an ignition breaker of the type commonly usedin automobiles.

In automobile circuit breakers, it is diilicult lto set and maintain thebreaker points in alignment and to prevent them from becoming pitted orWearing unevenly due to the rapid and continuous engagement of thecircuit breaker cam in the rapid intermittent breaking of the circuit.The circuit breaker commonly used for automobile yengines is usuallymounted upon a vibrating arm which requires accurate setting andadjustment by a skilled mechanic. The present invention provides anignition breaker of a different type which may be substituted for thevibrating arms and the fixed breaker points in the present type ofequipment and it is designed to be used as a substitute or a replacementtherefor.

When subjected to continuous use, circuit breakers are engaged in thesame direction by a cam which repeats its operation thousands of timesper minute. Even though this is a wiping contact, such continuous actiontends to press a contact projection and its mounting bars always in thesame direction and even though over-sized bearings and parts are used,the tendency to warp is in one direction and tends to destroy thealignment of the circuit breaker.

An important object of this invention is therefore in the provision of acircuit breaker which makes a .line contact instead of a point contactand has an additional contacting means .interposed between the circuitbreaker and the opery' .ating cam.

,an improved simple and small ignition breaker which has cast insulationadapted to lbe assembled upon a mounting base andto provide a unitaryignition breaker.

. Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification andwill be apparent from ,the

accompanying drawings in Which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ignition breaker having an interposedcontactdevice in accordance -with .this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan ,view of the .breaker shown in portion thereof in Fig.3 is a front elevation of the ignition breaker and the contacter.

I n the present invention, the xed and movable contact members aremounted upon the same block, the movable member being mounted Vuponparallel bars andthe contacting member is'pivoted at one end and movableto engage the contacting member of the parallel mounted breaker toprotect the latter from the side sWiping action. or" a breaker cam.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a mounting block Il!has reduced ears each with a slot l2 for adjustablyattaching it to` amounting lever i4 by means of adjustingscrews it. At the ends of thelever are perforations I8 and k:Ztl by means of which lthe'lever maybeadju ted and the screws I6 permitting separate adjustment of the blockon the lever.

Extending vertically through the'block at o pposite sides are slots 2|and 22 which may be rectangular and connected through the block by vaperforation l2,4. lExtending transversely through the block are endrecesses 26 each having ra. shoulder portion A2t at one end for mountinga pair of bearing sleeves 30, the sleeves being of a diameter to slidewithin the shoulders y28, and the recesses 25 being slightly larger`than the sleeves to receive bushing sleeves e3-2 preferably ofself-ailing material such as Oilite between vthe sleeves k30 andtherecesses 26.` Between the pair of bushings 32 for each sleeve is acompressed coil spring `3ft tending to separate the bushings.

Seated in the slot 2| is an insulating bushing' preferably formed orcast to t in the slot and havinga central hole 38 to register with theperforation 24 in the block. Seated in the slot 221is a similarinsulation 4D having a central hole 4 2 to register with the perforation24. vSeated in the perforation 124 of the block is ashort sleeve 43 ofinsulating material which connects the insulations l36 and 4D andregisters with the perforations thereof.

A 4rlxed circular contact bar 44 of .tungsten or other suitable contactmaterial .is vconnected to a contact block y46 bybeingsolderedorotherwise vconnected in a recess 48 thereof andthe contact bar isof alength substantially the thickness of the block-i0. Theblock 46 isseated in theinsulatiOllB and extending inwardly from the face of 'theblock 4B V is a stem which extends ,through the perforations of theinsuiaticns sind '4o .and

vthroughthe insulating sleeve 152.Y theen'dff the stemis a washerSZ andaplaterlt 1vvhichex-l ktends vupwardly in the vslot of the insulationwith a curled portionitoutsideof the blockat ing sleeves 38.

3 the upper end of the slot 22 forming an eye for receiving the end of aconductor 58 which is attached to and insulated from the block of thebreaker.

A bolt or screw 60 is inserted through a perforation in the plate 54 andthrough the washer 52 into the end of the stem 50 for tightly bindingthe plate 54 and the washer against the insulation, and thereby bindingall of the insulation pieces, the contact block 48 and the contact bai`44 tightly in assembled position.

Extending through each of the sleeves 30 are rivet rods B2. Connectingthe two opposite rods at one end is a contact plate 54 having anintermediate recess SS for seating a contact bar 88 therein. Thiscontact bar is preferably of tungsten or other suitable contact materialof substantially the same length as the fixed contact bar 44 and it ispositioned in exact alignment to make a line contact therewith. Thecontact plate 84 is held upon the rivet by a head 18 at -the end of eachrivet.

At the other ends of the rivets 62 is a backing plate 12 through whichthe rods extend and a bumper plate 14 having a central bumper projection18 adapted to be engaged betwen the rivets E2 for moving them togetherwith their backlThis bumper block may be of any suitable material, butpreferably it is of a tough, hard, fibrous compostion which resistsabrasion and wear, such as nylon, which also an insulating material andmay be used for the insulating pieces 3G, 48 and 42. The plates 14 vareassembled upon the headed ends of the rivet rods 82 before sleeves 3i)and are held against the ends of the 12 and they are inserted throughthe sleeves by riveting the opposite ends 18 of the rods or by rivetingthe adjusting ends of the rods to form heads 18.

The sleeves and rivet rods are of proper length to provide a spacebetween the inner side of the plate 12 and the adjacent surface of theblock sufcient when the projection thereby compressing the springs 34,and as soon .pas this pressure is removed, the spring returns thecontacts to their line engagement.

to separaate the contact bars 44 and 68 16 is engaged and moved,

In order to engage the projection 1S and to prevent the unequal wearingof the parallel end bearings due to the direct engagement of anoperating cam therewith, an intermediate contact device is interposedbetween an operating cam 80 and the projection 18 which comprises aresilient arm 82 composed of sheet metal or any suitable supportingmaterial to which is riveted or otherwise secured a contact block 84 oftough, hard, fibrous material which may be similar to the bumper plate14 and has a projection 88 preferably located in alignment with thebumper projection 16. One end of the arm 82 has an angular extension 88substantially at right angles to the yarm which has a perforationthrough which one .of the fastening screws I6 extend for securing .thearm extension iirmly to the block I8, the arm,

however, being substantially parallel but sprung 3' away from the burnerprojection 16 to normally provide a slight clearance between them.

At the end of the arm 82 opposite the block 84 is a spring curl 98adapted to resiliently engage al brous pad 92 which is held thereby,this pad extending toward the projection 86 but terminating a shortdistance therefrom and even extendingY into the path of a lobe orprojection 94 of the cam 88 to operate as a wiper forremoving oil or dother foreign materials from the contacting surface of the cam.

This intermediate contacting device may be applied to circuit breakersof the block type which are already in operation or it may be installedoriginally with them. As an attachment, it is readily applied byremoving one of the screws I6 by which the circuit breaker is attachedto the mounting lever I4 andinserting the screw through the openingprovided in the lateral projection 88 of the contact arm.

With this construction, any wiping movement of the operating cam is nottransmitted to the breaker operating projection 16, but the attachmentis limited to a swinging action due to the resilience of the arm 82 andto the mounting of the arm upon a resilient means or spring at one endthereof. The arm 82 can only swing against the outer end of theprojection 16 in a direct contact with it pressing the bumper plate 14equally at both ends and preventing an unequal or side swiping movementfrom being applied to the parallel rivet bearings of the circuitbreaker.

While this construction has been described in some detail, it should beregarded by way of example and illustration rather than as a limitationor restriction of the invention as various changes in the construction,combination and arrangement of the parts may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. In an ignition breaker, the combination with an ignition breakerdevice and an operating cam therefor, the device having a bumperprojection for operating it and an interposed contacting block betweenthe device and the cam having means for mounting it to swing inengagement with the projection of the breaker device, and a projectionon the attachment engaged by the breaker cam and moving the arm directlyin contact with the projection of the device.

2. In an ignition breaker, a breaker device having separable contactbars for making a line contact, parallel mounting means for relativelymoving the contact bars and a bumper projection between the parallelmounting means, of a cam for operating the device and an operatingattachment interposed between the device and the cam comprising an armresiliently connected to the device and having a projectionsubstantially in line with the projection of the device and adapted tobe engaged by the cam and moved thereby so that the arm engages the saidprojection of the device.

3. In an ignition breaker, a mounting block having an insulated contactbar at one side of the block, a movable contact bar to engage theinsulated bar in a line engagement, means comprising parallel mountingsextending through the mounting block for supporting the movable contactbar, a bumper plate at the other side of the mounting block attached tothe parallel mountings and having an intermediate projection, an armresiliently mounted at one end of the mounting block and extending overthe said projection, means forming a projection extending from the armand outwardly from the projection of the mounting block, and a cam toengage the projection of the arm and to press it into engagement withthe projection of the mounting block.

4. In an ignition breaker, the combination with an ignition device andan operating cam, of an vintermediate operating attachment for the de- 5toward and from the device, a contact block carried by the arm having aprojection therefrom in the path of the cam and movable by the cam toengage and operate the device.

5. In an ignition breaker, an attachment adapted to be inserted betweenan ignition breaker and a cam for operating it, the attachmentcomprising a resilient arm having an extension at one end forresiliently mounting the arm upon an ignition device, a contact blocksecured to the arm having a projection therefrom adapted to be engagedby the cam and moved to engage the device, the said arm movable upon itsextension to directly engage the ignition device.

6. An attachment, in accordance with claim 5, in which a at wiper issecured to the arm and extends adjacent the contact block projectionthereof at the side adapted to be engaged by an operating cam to wipeoil and other material from an operating cam.

7. An attachment in accordance with claim 5, in Which the arm has aspring curl at the end opposite the contacting portion thereof, and abrous pad inserted in and held by the spring curl and extending towardthe projection thereof on the side to rst engage an operating camtherefor.

8. In an ignition breaker, a mounting block having attachment ears, aninsulated contact bar parallel mounting means extending through theblock to the other side thereof, a bumper plate secured to the mountingmeans at the other side of the block having an intermediate projection,a cam for operating the movable contact bar, and an operating attachmentinterposed between the said projection and the cam to prevent the sidesvviping action of the cam, said att chment having an arm with anextension connected to one ofthe Said attachment ears, the arin being ofresilient material and sprung outwardly to clear the contact projection,and a bumper block secured to the arm having a projection substantiallyin line with the rst named projection adapted to be engaged by the camfor moving the arm to swing inwardly and in contact with the firstbumper projection equally engaging both of the said parallel mountings.

CARL V. CHERMENDY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,167,839 Rhodes Jan. 11, 1916 2,515,078 Cowardin July 7, 1950

